Saturday, December 7, 2019

This article takes a very different approach for me because I am not a fan of rap or Kanye West, nor have I heard his release titled Jesus Is King. I had read about West's conversion to Jesus Christ and have been surprised by his pro-life stance and assertion that black people do not have to automatically vote Democrat. Now he is on trial.

Don't be disunderstanding me now, pilgrim. Mr. West is not going before a tribunal or standing trial in a court of law that I know of. No, he is on trial in far worse places: the courts of public opinion and the judgement of professing Christians.

There is a podcast called Cultish that examines false religions and has interviews with people who have left various cults, but the people at Cultish rode a side trail to discuss Kanye and Christians. What is happening here has resonated with me, because some religious folks can be petty and judgemental. (On the other hand, we've been fooled by celebrities that had announced their alleged Christian commitments when it was in vogue, then proceeded to live like the devil.) When I was asked about his profession of faith, I said that I was taking a "wait and see" approach since I did not have much information on West's conversion.

If you study on it, he has an uphill road to climb. A successful recording artist who has won awards, is known as a man of the world, has views that are unpopular with leftists, is bipolar — and now a new Christian. His conversion can cost him friends and business dealings while he is attempting to live a godly life.

Things become worse because Mr. West has to deal with professing Christians who seem to expect perfection while forgetting their own growth in sanctification. It is not instant. Suppose Pastor Highlyrespected was overheard using profanity or doing something that is blatantly wrong, would that mean he was never saved in the first place? Not hardly! We all sin (Rom. 3:23), even after salvation (1 John 1:9).

Related to sanctification is what the Bible calls bearing fruit. This is a part of growing as a Christian where our relationship with God develops; we become more Christlike, God works in us and we bear fruit spiritually. It takes time. Again, sanctification is not instant (consider the Parable of the Sower). Some people make a pretense at religiosity but are consumed with hate and receiving the adoration of people who hate God. When that continues, it is apparent that they need to examine themselves to see why they are not bearing spiritual fruit or if they really are in the faith.

How are they lyrics on Jesus is King? Are they the words of a shill, or someone who is new in the faith and enthusiastic? Don't be expecting expository teaching from rock, pop, country, or rap lyrics.

There are also people who want to judge West for not believing "the right way". In my own experience, I have had to correct professing Christians who have bluntly stated that if someone believes in evolution, that person is not really a Christian. Wrong-o! Their understanding of Scripture is probably lacking or they may be compromising to gain the approval of secularists, but rejecting Darwin and embracing recent creation are not essentials of salvation. Then there are those who condemn people to perdition for not believing the "correct" end-times views. Oh, grow up.

I have been criticized because I refusing to confess either Reformed or Arminian doctrines. In fact, some in the Calvin cult have told me that if I do not accept the Doctrines of Grace, my faith is immature — or I may not even be saved! One angry Arminian would essentially quirt me with stories (often myths) about how John Calvin was allegedly a bad person, so I should reject his teachings. Such guilt by association "reasoning" is used by atheists and anti-creationists, and Christians should rise above bad logic.

People who want to judge Kanye West should realize that they are not the Holy Spirit. Let God do his work in his own way and his own time. Not yours. Sure, West has been in the company of the false teacher Joel Osteen. That caused me some discomfort, but I heard that Kanye talked more about repentance in just a few minutes than Osteen has over a much longer period of time. Maybe Mr. West will have such an impact that Osteen repents of his false teachings.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

by Cowboy Bob SorensenEvery once in a while, I commence to cognating and sometimes writing about reputations. In my sixty years, I've seen and sometimes experienced how things like trust, respect, honor, and reputations take a mighty long time to build on the positive side but can be destroyed in a hurry.

The largest section of Genesis, chapters 37-50, have Joseph the son of Israel (Jacob) who was despised by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt. Potiphar was important in Egypt and Joseph impressed him so much that Potiphar put him in a position of power. When Joe turned down the Pot-man's wife for a roll in the hay, she lied about him. Joe's reputation was negated because someone in a respected, noble position lied.Joseph was thrown in prison but the jailer in chief was so impressed by him that he basically let him have the run of the place. A new reputation was being forged, and it was reinforced when he was explaining the meaning of dreams. Later, Pharaoh himself was troubled, and someone said, "Waitaminnit! I just remembered this guy down in the dungeon who might be useful." Joe explained the dream, and Pharaoh made him exceptionally important in Egypt. He even was able to forgive and bless his brothers who sold him into slavery (Genesis 50:20).All thought the ups and downs, God was with Joseph, who never lost faith despite the circumstances.It gets difficult when you're accused of doing something wrong and you're innocent. I've been accused by someone who has earned a reputation for being a liar and insane, so sensible people do not take him seriously. Using a form of the genetic fallacy, I've been lied about by someone with prestige; my word was negated, and my reputation took a slapping down.Ain't no way that I can compare myself to Joseph. There are times when it's difficult to build a good reputation in a workplace when those in power take a notion to dislike you, but you just have to cowboy up and do your job the best you can with what you have.Recently, we had a lull in work so we were sent home. I filled out the form to account for the difference in hours. Later, I went to my supervisor and said that I wasn't sure of my math. She told me that I overstated the amount by half an hour and she made the adjustment. Although the system would not let her put in an excessive amount of time for me, she said she knew I wasn't trying to get away with something. Another time, I was talking with her supervisor about using a less-known system tool. He said he can trust me with it, but didn't want everyone doing that thing for certain reasons. Those moments of affirmation felt good. While others are more productive than I am in certain areas, it's good that my reputation with those supervisors is pretty good.Even so, it seems like there's a kind of entropy with people. Bad reports, rumors, other negative things tend to be more easily believed that the positive. A good reputation can be destroyed quickly, especially if it's clearly your fault. I've had to restrain my urges to run my mouth or take other actions, and I have to pray for patience and wisdom quite often.Christians must glorify God, and we are to do this in our work. I've heard several sermons on Ephesians 6:5-9, which is about slaves and masters in ancient Rome. While our masters cannot actually buy and sell employees, they can fire us. The principles in this passage apply to Christians in the workforce today. We ultimately work for God and should seek to please him.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

by Cowboy Bob Sorensen A few days ago, I was reminded of something I learned about proofreading. Serious publications do not have authors proofread their own work because they see what they expect. People have a tendency to "fill in the blanks" when information is missing so they can make sense of a situation, and this applies to proofreading. If you must do your own, try not to do it on the same day. Fast readers are more prone to making mistakes.

The human mind can fool itself, but not computers. Those things are extremely literal, and just one piece of misplaced code can have unpleasant results, as I have seen when tampering with the HTML on these here sites of mine.

Since my paying job is data entry, I can listen to the audio of videos and use text-to-speech so I can listen to articles, books, and so on. Someone fouled up in an article, and one letter made the difference. I have little doubt that I would have caught the error that escaped the author and the site's proofreader(s), but the computer caught it.The article mentioned an owner's manual. However, it was spelled with just one wrong letter: manuel. So I heard a name that is common among Spanish, Portuguese, German, and other folks. Owner's Manuel. Frankly (mind if I call you Frank?) he's on my bad side. Owner's Manuel is never around when I need him, so I have to get the owner's manual or go online to learn how to make something happen.By the way, I often discuss context, and this is another simple example. The context is part of the reason author and proofreaders see what they expect and not catch the one letter that didn't belong. If the word had been capitalized, that is likely to have caught someone's attention so the incorrect word could be corrected. Also, the word by itself is unhelpful. Manual. Are we talking about your vehicle's transmission or the book you consult? Maybe Manuel knows.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

First, a bit of behind the scenes for y'all. This site is something I registered because of sidewinders who have tried to dry gulch my name through impersonation. It also is a marker of sorts for some of my activities on teh interweb, so it's also useful. I try to post here about once a month to keep it active. But there's more in this instance.

Earth from Apollo 10, May 18, 1969 via NASA(Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents)

I wanted to post an article from Answers in Genesis about the age of the earth directly to The Question Evolution Project on Facebook. Although I often post material from AiG, this one was instantly refused for alleged violations of their "Community Standards". Science and biblical history are streng verboten in this case? Well another case, I had to do something similar, but I disremember when.

Used under Fair Use provisionsClick for larger

Posts and articles from this site, Biblical Creation and Evangelism, and Stormbringer's Thunder are supposed to automatically (eventually) post to my Cowboy Bob Page on Fazebook; they won't censor the AiG link when it's in this post. Then I can copy the link on one FB Page and schedule it to another one. I like to schedule my posts.

So, let's get to the post for which I've been doing a workaround and giving you behind the scenes information.

The question of the age of the earth has produced heated discussions on internet debate boards, TV, radio, in classrooms, and in many churches, Christian colleges, and seminaries. The primary sides are

Young-earth proponents (biblical age of the earth and universe of about 6,000 years)

Old-earth proponents (secular age of the earth of about 4.5 billion years and a universe about 14 billion years old)

The difference is immense! Let’s give a little history of where these two basic calculations came from and which worldview is more reasonable.

Monday, August 19, 2019

by Cowboy Bob SorensenBeing judgemental is usually frowned on in Western societies, often based on misusing verses like Matthew 7:1. The immediate context and other parts of Scripture command Christians to exercise righteous judgement. Here is an example of an unrighteous snap judgement.

People use the corridors at the workplace for conversation and smartphone use. This is a common thing in places of employment. I was on my way to the restroom, and a woman was in the corridor using her phone. She looked up at me for a split second and went back to her activity. No greeting or acknowledgement of my presence, but we had briefly seen each other several times before.My snap judgemental thoughts included that she is stuck up, aware that she is very attractive, possibly afraid of me (I believe that women nowadays are trained by leftists to loathe men, but that's a topic for another time), that I am unimportant (well, I am in that place), and so on. Maybe she wants to go mattress dancing with me but is afraid to ask. (No, she's not blind or drunk, so that thought is easily dismissed.) But what did I really know from her actions?This ties into something I have tried to teach in several of my articles: we only know so much, thus making hasty judgements counterproductive. As A. Conan Doyle had Sherlock Holmes say in A Study in Scarlet, "It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgment." I reckon those words are true for just about everyone.The woman was using her phone. She briefly glanced up at me, then back down. I know that she works for the same company as I do but in a different department. I don't know much more than that, not even her name. I have no reason to judge her. Interestingly, the next day I was told to grab my gear and saddle up, I was working in her department for a spell. This woman was nearby. Someone engaged her in a brief conversation, but she is not like some chatterboxes that I've been around. Nope, the quiet type. If I had judged her harshly in my mind, I would have had to modify my opinion in light of more information.But in any case, I would not have been exercising righteous judgement. I certainly don't like being in the gunsites of judgemental folks, so I try to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26). That helps reduce bad behavior on my part. I still have a long way to go.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

by Cowboy Bob SorensenEdited July 21, 2019 It seems like only yesterday — not really, it seems like fifty years ago that Apollo 11's Lunar Module Eagle landed on the moon. As a nine-year-old boy playing with space toys and waiting for the big event, it seemed interminable. Today, I have a better idea about why NASA did not do things on my impatient timetable. Years later, I learned more about just how dangerous space and space travel can be. Scientists have also learned a great deal.

Photo of Edwin Aldrin by Neil Armstrong after being run through FotoSketcherOriginal photo credit: NASA (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents)

I had plastic models and booklets, but also some vinyl records. The "Talespinners for Children" company had a record album that was like a radio play that went through astronomy with Kepler, Galileo, and others. It also contained audio of the moon landing. I'd like to hear it again.The public and I had moved on. Other Apollo missions followed as well as orbiting space stations, the Apollo-Soyuz mission, space shuttles, unmanned probes to both inner and outer planets, the International Space Station, and other space news. Political and cultural events as well ad budget cuts had an impact on the space program. Having had an interest in creation science for years and managing The Question Evolution Project in recent years, I have learned many things about various branches of science. My favorite has always involved space exploration and astronomy. Want to see my collection of Soviet Union and American postage stamps on the subject?When the big anniversary of the first lunar landing was coming up, I realized that I was very excited all over again and even a bit emotional. With social media, I could join the celebration and even find some documentaries to watch on my Roku device.

I'm certain that leftists will be crying about how the Apollo landings were made by a bunch of white male heterosexuals, several of them Bible-believing Christians. If that vapid complaining isn't happening now, wait a bit. As another aside, there are atheopath and other anti-creationist sidewinders who prefer to attack people instead of rationally dealing with subjects. Common epithet used against creationists is "science deniers", "science haters", and similar things. Even a cursory glance of biblical creation science sites (as well as mine) shows that such remarks are blatant lies. What we deny is propaganda and fake science; faulty assertions of "it evolved" (biological as well as cosmic) are things that we dare to question.To give some creation science perspectives, I have a passel of links for those who want to do some investigation. The first group is from David Coppedge at Creation-Evolution Headlines. (Look for the fantastic artwork by Alan Bean.) David worked on the Cassini mission as a system administrator at JPL until he was fired for having the wrong views. His passion for space exploration remains strong. Some other links of interest follow those.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

by Cowboy Bob SorensenWhile there are several frustrating things on social media, one stands out from the herd. That is when people are compelled to comment without having read the posts or articles. The worst part is when people who post things are told they're wrong, stupid, lying, whatever, by people who have not bothered to read the material. Answers to objections and questions are often contained in the linked articles.

Sometimes people will read the few sentences of introduction that are placed to encourage people to read the actual article, and they seem to feel that they are well enough informed to comment. Not usually.

Now don't be disunderstanding me, most of us who make posts are not expecting everyone to read everything. Also, a stand-alone captioned picture is an invitation for comments. (People who are aware of my posts and articles may have noticed that I seldom use a question as a title in hopes that people will actually read the linked material before commenting. A question can be taken as an invitation to comment without reading.) This kind of commenting is seen throughout social media, including Fazebook, Twitface, weblogs, and more.

In fact, I've embarrassed myself by reading something too quickly, commenting, and being informed that my query was addressed after all.

Not too long ago, I posted an article about the value of vaccinations. Many people were outraged, and I saw Proverbs 18:13 validated before my eyes. They did not want to read the material, even castigating me for writing it. Worse, there was no interest in actually reading the material that I wrote or the detailed articles that were linked. Apparently, people were locked in by their emotions and the "facts" that they already believed from anti-vaxxers and similar groups (see Proverbs 18:17). I had a bit of an experiment a spell back. On Facebook at The Question Evolution Project, I posted an item called "Atheist Accepts Multiverse Theory Of Every Possible Universe Except Biblical One". We had many comments by people who were angry at atheists, but didn't notice the source: The Babylon Bee, a "Christian news satire" site.

Here is where I want to make another point. People tend to accept what they read when the material confirms their biases or assumptions without checking the source. Good satire can be hard to distinguish from actual reports, and this one
about the atheist accurately described how many of them act. Some of the people commenting on the post knew that it was a parody site, but others lashed out at the "atheist" in the story. I was letting it go, but another Admin stepped in and made it clear in the comments area that the content was satire.Care should be used when getting material from unknown sites. You can find material that "proves" ghosts, UFOs, that the Anunnaki are our ancient reptilian masters from outer space working with the Illuminati, anti-vaxxers, flat-earthers, atheists, geocentrists, King James Onlyists, and more. Often, the name of the site or the weblog can prompt a reader or researcher to find more reliable sources. I lack belief that sites like that consider material that does not fit their narratives. God gave us minds, and he expects us to use them.

Monday, June 3, 2019

by Cowboy Bob SorensenYou may have what you consider your purpose in life, and it varies by individuals. Some want to succeed in the business world, others want to watch the world burn. You may be a doctor, lawyer, scientist, teacher, welder, construction worker, stay-at-home-mom, or a host of other possibilities. You may be shocked — shocked I say — to learn that jobs, hobbies, and religions are not our primary sources for purposeful lives.

I've heard it said that men are hard-wired to get their satisfaction in life from their jobs. That doesn't happen for me since I'm just a data entry clerk, but I am able to listen to podcasts and articles to try to make myself more smarter and anthropomorphic. Some people consider it their duties to save the world from biblical creation science, Conservative politics, "infidels", and others they despise using any means necessary.One feckless sidewinder wants to destroy creation science (and especially me, personally), but he's an uneducated bigot that isn't taken seriously. Of course, leftists and globalists (but I repeat myself) seek their life's purpose in gaining power. People are greatly mistaken in finding their purpose outside of the Creator. After all, he made us and makes the rules, so we must find out what he has to say.Atheists and evolutionists may tell you that evolution provides a "message of hope", but if you get up on the hill and look at it from a bigger perspective, you'll see the absurdity in such a belief. Way back when, the universe formed by chance, then stars and planets. Life itself began by chance, and then through chance, time, random processes, unexplainable forces like evolutionary "pressures", life continually advanced (defying common sense and laws of science), and here we are. Life has no meaning, your only purpose is to pass along your genes (why?), there is no Creator, no ultimate Judgment or justice. When you die, you're worm food; time and chance won't help you. Makes me want to embrace atheism spectrum disorder right this minute!Many evangelists are in error by telling people that if they come to Jesus, life gets better. That is horribly incomplete, and backfires immediately when people think that life is fine without him. We must come to God, and we must come on his terms, with humility and submission to the authority of his Word. All are lost sinners and need to repent. Don't get me wrong, life in Jesus does give us joy and purpose, but salvation is of primary importance. Modern "gospel" messages are not interested in glorifying God and explaining sin, Hell, Heaven, repentance, and salvation.People who do have purposeful lives are better off psychologically, it seems. But we need to ride the trail all the way to the end.

Live Science published results of a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association that confirmed longevity benefits for people who describe their life as purposeful.

. . .

The findings from a long-term study that began in 1992 and carried forward to a questionnaire in 2006, involving 7,000 people. Mortality rates of participants were studied over subsequent years. Those with low life-purpose scores were more than twice as likely to die, researchers found. The reason, they believe, is that purposeful living lowers stress hormones that lead to inflammation. “Inflammation, in turn, has been previously linked with an increase in risk of early death, according to the study.”

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Step aside, guard! The king must use the throne. No, this is just a game.Two television programs have ended that were loved by many. One was a fantasy drama called Game of Thrones, the other was a comedy known as The Big Bang Theory. From what I read, both generated quite a bit of emotion in some folks.

Background image before malevolentification by NASA / WMAP Science Team(ain't no way they endorse any part of this site), with a graphic from Clker clipart

I didn't care. Two shows that people talked about that had many episodes, and I never saw any. Previews for The Big Bang Theory struck me as silly and I didn't want to spend time on it. Game of Thrones has been described as not only violent and trying to be politically correct, but it had graphic violence and was pornographic.

Fans were disappointed in the ending of GoT, I'm sad to know that some professing Christians were putting that kind of thing in their minds. So, did you imagine Jesus sitting with you eating popcorn and appreciating GoT? I wonder how he would like BBT?

Sunday, April 21, 2019

by Cowboy Bob SorensenUntil the last few years, people knew that men and women are different. Not only do we have distinct biological differences that are important medically and in other ways, but it is the way God designed life. We are also psychologically different. It is indeed unfortunate that I have to state what was formerly obvious.

The University of Notre Dame was a religious school last I knew, and as such, claimed to uphold certain standards. Apparently modesty is not so important. One of the differences between men and women is that us menfolk are visually stimulated. Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. discussed a problem at the university where a mother wrote a column in the student newspaper about leggings. I highly recommend his March 29, 2018 The Briefing podcast that can be heard online, downloaded, or you can read the transcript.One of the various names for this piece of hosiery for women is yoga pants, which shows that they are intended for athletic purposes. It has become fashionable to wear them in the workplace, for casual activities — and apparently even to religious services. People
have described leggings as looking like they were "painted on". I've
seen them and agree with that description. They are not mentioned in the
company dress code where I work, but other items of modesty are
addressed such as strapless tops. Ironic, I think.

Christianity and other religious emphasize modesty among both men and women, but especially for women because of the aforementioned visual stimulation of men.I have seen atheopaths (who compulsively oppose almost anything that the Bible upholds) say that immature men are the problem, so the "freedom" of women should not be at issue. Such an argument is both ignorant and risible.Years ago, there was a controversy about thongs on beaches. I was puzzled. As a child, I used to wear what we called thongs (sometimes called sandals), but I grew to dislike them. Today, that unpleasant bit of footwear are known as flip-flops.Nowadays, a thong is a skimpy bit of apparel that is like fabric spaghetti splitting the buttocks, then brought up between the thighs and attached to a waistband. (Many jurisdictions consider them to be indecent and they are outlawed.) I remember a television show, perhaps it was Phil Donahue, where a woman with a snide attitude was given the microphone and said, "What's the big deal? Everybody's got a butt!" Sure, princess, but everybody doesn't necessarily want to look at yours in a public place — or see those other parts that are normally kept private.It seems that some people are too selfish to be considerate of others, even at the point of being visually provocative. This strikes me as narcissistic as well as selfish.As Dr. Mohler points out in his analysis, the Bible tells us that we keep private parts private. Certain areas of the body are to be presented between a husband and wife, not paraded for the prurient desires of strangers.In a silly 1958 short story called "Do Unto Others"
by Mark Clifton, some prissy Earth women took a notion that the buck
naked octopus-like inhabitants of Capella IV needed to be clothed. Let's assume for a moment that such critters exist. While
forcing modesty on space aliens may seem well-intentioned, it is also pointless because they are not children of Adam and Eve. You'll see what I mean in a moment.People may ask why we wear clothes in the first place. I mean, aside from cold weather and such. Clothing goes back to Genesis. After Adam and sinned, they felt the need to cover themselves (Gen. 3:7). God said, "Ain't no way", and covered them with the skins of animals (Gen. 3:21). This was the first covering for sin, and blood was shed.You'll have to do some research on the theology involved, but animal sacrifices in the Old Testament were a temporary covering for sin and foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ. Bloodshed is necessary to cover sin. God the Son, our Creator, took on human form, died on a cross for the remission of our sins. He bodily arose on the third day, defeating death and doing away with the animal sacrifices.Our clothing and modesty are reminders of not only respect for each other, but of sin covering. Jesus Christ attained the victory over sin and death. Most professing Christians celebrate Easter, and we have a great reason to do so. Sins are no longer covered. Instead, Christians are forgiven and we are children of the living God.

Sunday, April 14, 2019

by Cowboy Bob SorensenEdited 4-15-2019Many of us who have jobs know the frustration of having upper management make demands, expecting those of us who actually do the work to somehow make their dreams and their bonuses come true. Unfortunately, too many people in their positions do not know how things work, but they make promises to clients that cannot realistically be fulfilled. I say that the motto of The Company is the song by Queen, "I Want It All (and I Want It Now)".

While my work at The Question Evolution Project and the Piltdown Superman site (among others) sometimes feels like a full-time job, I have a day job to pay the bills. It is a data entry job, so you can imagine the eye strain from doing that plus writing posts and articles.My own social media rules are stricter than those of The Company because all y'all don't need to know where I work. One reason for that came from an incident on Twitter where someone looked up my employer and said he was calling them to get me fired. Why? Because he didn't like something I wrote. (Leftists want people silenced, you know.) As if he could reach the CEOs of a huge international corporation anyway — not that they would care about a whining troll in the first place.

A Bit of Background

This job requires us to make bricks and gather our own straw. That is, we are not given the necessary tools. We have outdated computers ("Optimized for Windows XP", tricked out for Windows 7), a rented building that would probably not pass inspections by the county health department or the fire codes, quirky climate controls, and so on.We also use second-drawer software. Even before I began riding for the brand, people disliked this operating system. Sure, every OS needs adjustments. But when we've been complaining for years and are repeatedly told that "we're working on it", it's downright discouraging. In fact, the IT department makes adjustments that take away functionality. Live with it. Don't you know who we are? We're The Company! When both speed and accuracy are essential, we don't want to hear excuses and get workarounds that take too much time. Fix it, or put it back the way it was, Skippy.The Company has rules, and you will obey them. You haff relatives, in ze old country, ja? It is possible for someone to get fired for not being stupid; blind obedience is paramount. It doesn't help matters that the rules keep changing.Add to this the inconsistent screen displays. Forms vary greatly, and many are nearly illegible as well as being in different sizes and fonts. This produces eyestrain and overall fatigue.

Mandatory Overtime

When we signed on to this job, we took a shift with specific hours. Overtime was voluntary and intermittent. People plan their lives accordingly. Some have children, second jobs (The Company is downright cheap), and have lives to live, savvy that?Although there were not enough people to perform the work, The Company made promises to their primary customer that we could handle a massive increase in volume and the time commitments. Not hardly! Naturally, we fell behind. The facilities manager (who acts like a kindergarten teacher who is angry because someone was eating paste) passes along directives from on high to managers below her: make things work. Immediate managers want to do a good job, and they have to be the town marshals. The Company dry-gulched us with mandatory overtime.

Disspirited

The manager below the angry teacher-type manager is intelligent and compassionate, which makes his job more difficult (it's easier to do that job if you are have no heart). He tried to make arrangements with people who could not stay for an extra ten or more hours a week. In a group meeting, they gave us a speech about how we need to get out of backlog, it shouldn't take long, save the company, and so on. No apologies about wrecking our plans for the Christmas season, though. Or Hanukkah. Then Easter and Passover.It went on.Eventually, we were out of backlog and there should be no more overtime. But wait! It happened again! Why? Because management from the schoolteacher-type on up are incompetent and they do not equip us to succeed. So, more OT. Some of us think it will never end.

Torches and Pitchforks

We had another group meeting, and I was on the prod. Many of us were. In fact, I had to restrain my yap so I didn't get fired. This time, they were complaining that people were not doing voluntary overtime. Schoolmarm was using guilt, manipulation and shaming on us. (I wondered if they would hang "I didn't work enough overtime" signs on us, take our pictures, and post them on Fazebook.) The powers that be cannot understand why we have such a high turnover rate, blaming the people they depend on instead of examining themselves. This is a big part of it.The usual points were made that we have system issues and were given the "we're working on it" response. In addition, it was stated that people get burned out, so when OT is not mandatory, some of us want to have the kind of hours for which we signed on. Other points were made, and a bit forcefully at times. I thought of the old Frankenstein movie where the villagers were going after the doctor and the monster with torches and pitchforks.

Hero-Martyr

A team lead (only hired a few months ago, and then promoted) said that his grandmother had just died, and he should be home grieving, but chose to put in overtime. Guilt manipulation was added. I wanted to say, "Do you want a medal?" I have a Soviet Union worker's medal at home, I could give it to him. Another co-worker said, "You're not the only one carrying this team".I was also offended. No, I'm not like leftists who file complaints and make people miserable. I was offended because I had been out for three days on bereavement. My mother-in-law had died so I wanted to be there for my wife and deal with family things. I wonder if, in his eyes, it makes me a bad person. It was providential that I had the following week off because we were taking care of things during that week. Also, I learned that during that week off they had more mandatory overtime, and then the voluntary overtime was instated for the week that I returned. I don't react well to guilt and manipulation, as certain stalker and trolls can attest.He is intelligent and personable. It's truly sad that he has misplaced priorities. Sadly, he put money and job status above family and friends, and I'm certain that he will regret his decision someday.

Overlooked Lessons

There are some things that management should consider. But I am unworthy to even have opinions, let alone, to express them. (Interesting that anti-creationist and anti-Christian trolls act the same way about people who have contrary views.) So you can read a few:

We signed on for a shift and specific hours

If they want to succeed, they should equip the people they depend on so we can all succeed

People do not respond well to bullying and manipulation

Immediate managers and supervisors are in a bad place, trying to make things work despite inane upper management

Yes, there are slackers, those exist in any business

Don't punish us all for the slacking of a few

You have stolen wages from employees, and I have the Department of Labor documentation to prove it; our trust levels plummet even further because of corporate dishonesty and incompetence

Helpful hint: you cannot defy the laws of time and space, nor can you reject the laws of logic. Stop trying.

Many employees have physical limitations and medical conditions

While some light a shuck out of there whenever they are slightly under the weather, many come to work sick or in pain

When overly tired, people make more mistakes

We do the best we can with what we have

Most Important

I reckon that most people simply want to do a job, go home and get on with their lives. As for me, I work to live, I don't live to work. Others seem to live to work, gaining prestige in their jobs. It is my considered opinion that they have sold their souls for money — and will suffer for it (Luke 16:13, Matt. 16:26, Luke 12:16-21). This or any other company can rail about it, but they will not get my soul. It is not mine to sell because it has been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 6:20, 1 Peter 1:18-19). I don't expect medals from an employer. From the Irony Board, a song from angry Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails has some lyrics that I agree with on the love of money. The live versions are high-energy, intense, and musically exciting, but more brutal and have profanity that I won't post. Here's the studio version:

Monday, March 11, 2019

People have hopes and dreams, but those can be shattered by accidents and other circumstances. A surgeon needs intelligence, good vision, skill, and fully functional hands and fingers to do important work. Singers need their voices. Musicians need their appendages. They also need discipline to learn and practice. There is something else that is vitally important.

That other item is talent, which is a gift of God. You can have the desire and practice, but if that talent is missing, there will not be much to show.Rick Allen, drummer for the band Def Leppard, lost his left arm in a car crash. With the support of friends, the band, other musicians, and special equipment, he returned to drumming. We read stories and watch videos of people who have lost limbs in combat, accidents, and in other ways but are equipped to live their lives. Others are handicapped in ways that cannot be overcome yet, and they are able to survive (see my book review and recommendation of Creation, Evolution, and the Handicapped). I thank God that he has given many people skill to develop science and technology to help others who have needs.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

by Cowboy Bob SorensenSome of the advantages of Question Evolution Day are to encourage people to use and develop critical thinking skills, have a spirit of inquiry, and develop healthy skepticism regarding scientific pronouncements. (An example of this can be found in my article on how hummingbirds "evolved" at "Hummingbirds Evolving for Combat?") Secularists get so all-fired determined to convince people of their materialistic views that they get on the prod when their depradations are brought to light. This is readily apparent in the global climate change propaganda.

Scientists make pronouncements when they do not have all the facts or have an adequate understanding of the topic at hand. Yes, it is the nature of science to change and develop when new information is obtained, but when it comes to subjects like origins and climate change, they present fake science with spiteful intent despite inadequate information or investigation.Some tinhorns have made global climate change into their religion, and trying to talk sense with them is like pulling wisdom teeth from jellyfish with a frayed lariat. The same happens with Darwin's disciples who only "know" that we're wrong, and tell us so via atheistic clearinghouse propaganda sites and so forth; if you tell them something they don't have a notion to understand, these leftist apparatchiks "refute" new information with outdated agitprop — when it fits their narrative, of course.Biblical creationists are used to reading that something "happened earlier than we thought", fossils are out of order, living critters are unchanged from their fossil counterparts after millions of Darwin years (such as mites in amber), and so on. Two things that really take the rag off the bush are the false claims that humans and chimps have greatly similar genomes, and that we have "junk" DNA from our evolutionary past. Evolution is their faith-based axiom, so they do not question it. Unfortunately, evolutionists often neglect to verify data and end up humiliating themselves.It behooves (do people still use that word?) anyone who takes science seriously needs to slow down, ask questions, and wait for additional information. The secular science media are interested in making converts and especially making money on sensationalized but incomplete stories, so y'all need to holler, "Whoa!" when confronted by grandiose claims.

Let's ride on up this here side trail a spell. A puzzling space object called 'Oumuamua (I still think it sounds like kisses from rich people, "Good to see you, oh, mua mua!") causes some speculation, but astronomers have no real idea as to what the thing is. In a recent podcast/transcript of The Briefing, Dr. Mohler discussed how Harvard astronomer Avi Selk claims that the object has extraterrestrial origins — not that he has any way of knowing that. But sometimes scientists say things they do not necessarily believe just to "put it out there". This is science, Sigmund? Dr. Mohler adds:

Not how are we supposed to square that with the claims made by scientists that they are operating on the basis of objective reason, and presumably, they would never argue for something that they do not believe? That seems completely contrary to everything the scientific establishment has been telling us about the very nature of science. We are living in an age not only of modern science, but of a worldview of scientism. How in the world can they face the rest of us if they now are admitting, in this kind of academic squabble, that at least some astrophysicists are publishing articles in journals based upon theories that they pose as if believing, but actually do not believe, as this one astrophysicist said, "just to put it out there"?

Excellent comment, and it fits with what we're examining about fake science. To hear or read this segment, it concludes this episode of The Briefing.Now we're back to the main subject. Global cooling/warming/climate change devotees have been pronouncing end of the world scenarios for many years, and proven wrong over and over. Information that is contrary to the globalist political narrative is ignored (see "Climate Change and Evolution: Similarities in Bad Science") and even ridiculed by the climate change cultists. It is indeed unfortunate that politicians make laws based on the unquestioning acceptance of fake science. Don't get me started on the decrees of celebrities...God has given us minds and the ability to think, and he intends us to use them. Science is supposed to be a method of processing observations and information, not a religion in and of itself. Our Creator upholds the universe, and has explained himself in the Bible. Despite the mockeries of Bill Nye and other atheopaths, it is true and we need to find out what the Master Engineer has to say. You savvy that?I have an additional link for your consideration.

Some matters are just too complicated to know with certainty. Here’s another “whoops” moment in climate science.Look at this headline in Nature by Fangqun Yu, analyzing a recent paper: “Atmospheric reaction networks affecting climate are more complex than was thought.” Those last two words are telling. Beware scientists who think they “now know” something. Sometimes they do, but sometimes they only “thought” they knew. They study phenomena, measure things, analyze things, and draw conclusions. An unsuspecting public or policy official trusts that scientists know what they say they know. Laws ensue that can affect nations for good or ill. Sometimes they can affect the whole world.

To read the rest of the article, click on "Global Policies Can Trust Fake Science". Don't be indoctrinated by secularists and their bad science. Thanks for reading this article, and for thinking.